Thinning the Herd (MS361,460,660)?

[gemniii]

This thread is about 1.5 years old....but I don't mind talking it over again.
<snip>
My 3 saw lineup serves me well - I seldom have any wood that requires a 660.

GREAT that you did a long term followup.

I was shooting for a 3 saw lineup when all I had was my 021 (35cc), a little over a year ago. My plans were to get a 50cc (270) for general cutting and 70cc (440 or 460) for milling medium size trees. And I expected to spend about $1300 for the two. As I remember that decision was based partially on your good thread.

That plan was shot to heck when, in rapid succession, I got a $220 Efco (35cc) for $50 (http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=108139) and won a John Deere CS62 (62cc) (http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=112096) here.

That darn CS62 was a little more than big enough to do everything I wanted in a 50CC saw, but not quite large enough for milling I wanted to do with a 70CC saw. But I wouldn't fleabay a saw. So I had to buy larger saw, but a 70CC was not enough of an increase to be worthwhile, so I went for a 90CC, then just recently a second because it is a blsnelling port.

So as I sit now my 3 saw plan was rounded out for about $1300, but that got me the Efco 3600, a JD CS62, and two Stihl 660's.

Bottom line -

You can't always get what you want
But if you try sometimes you might find
You get what you need

 

[Chris J.]

Oneoldbanjo, I don't mean to be nosy, but what were the deciding factors in choosing to keep the 260 over the 361? The modded 260 runs too good to sell? Better selling price for the 361? 361 too close to the 460?*




* Sometimes my ignorance is obvious .

 

[blsnelling]

IMHO, the best 2-saw plan is a 50cc and a 70-80cc, exactly what he has.

 

[striperswaper]

all this and we never saw the 50 cords of wood
must of never been with no pic

 

[StihlyinEly]

My lineup would be the MS192T,MS260 and MS460.

You've just described the perfect Stihl 2-saw plan, with the 192T thrown in for good measure.

Or you could keep the 192T, sell the 260, keep the 361 and 660. That would give you a slightly larger 3-saw plan, with the 192 for brushing/limbing with a short bar, a 20-inch B&C on the 361 and 28- and 36-inch B&Cs for the 660.

That'll tackle anything that comes down the pike.

 

[Dok]

Help a fellow CAD addict out will you? I'm having trouble grasping the concept of "too many saws" and a need the "thin the herd".
Dok

 

[oneoldbanjo]

Oneoldbanjo, I don't mean to be nosy, but what were the deciding factors in choosing to keep the 260 over the 361? .

I sold the 361 as I just didn't think it was big enough to handle the largest wood on my property - and yet it was a bit bigger and heavier than I needed if I was going to have a larger saw in the lineup. I really like the light weight and nimble 260 for cutting wood up to about 8".

 

[oneoldbanjo]

all this and we never saw the 50 cords of wood must of never been with no pic

Well.....here is the proof.

This picture was taken last year....the limbs that I burnt in the fall. The stack was about 10x12x6 - about 5.6 cords. It was a little bit of a pain burning this small diameter wood....but I hated to just waste it in a brush pile.

This picture is a the woodshed near the OWB. It is 18x20x6 at the point where the roof tapers in, which should be about 16.8 cords.

This picture is the woodshed that is in my woods. It is 18x20x7 at the point where the roof tapers in, which should be about 19.7 cords.

This picture is a temporary woodshed to take some of the overflow from the other woodsheds. I built it using some scrap metal, wood pallets and some old metal siding. The front row fell off earlier this year and I just threw the wood back up to keep it off the ground. It will go into the woodshed near the OWB once I get enough room for it. The stack is 7x10x6 and should be about 3.3 cords.

This is a stack of logs that I have not cut into rounds or split yet, as I just don't have room for it. I will cover it as soon as the wet weather arrives. The stack is 9x6x4, which should be about 1.7 cords. The wood is stacked up on railroad ties - but they don't show in the photo.

Finally, this is some ugly wood sitting on the ground outside the OWB and a load of ugly wood on under the cover on my trailer. This wood will burn great - but is just too weirdly shaped to stack in the shed. The trailer is 6x10 and is stacked about 2 feet high....should be about a cord when you add the stuff on the ground.

When I add everything up....including about 3 cords that would be stacked up in the sloping roof area of the sheds.....I believe it is just about 48 cords of wood. The stack of limbs shown in the first picture is gone.....so I guess I have about 45 cords.....about 7.5 years worth for me! I am seriously thinking about putting an add on Craigslist for the wood in the larger shed out in the woods.....maybe someone would appreciate well seasoned wood that is cut into 24" lengths and only split enough to make reasonable to handle.

 

[Anthony_Va.]

Thats alot of wood!

Did you test the 361 out pretty good? Reason I ask, is that I find myself using mine almost exclusively these days. If it's 20" or smaller, it cuts it with a vengeance! Then I use the 660 when I run into a big trunk to buck up or a fencerow of big trees that have to be dropped. Usually use the 260 for brush clearing, brush cutting out of fencerows, etc.

I could drop the 260 for a 200T and be a happy camper. if I had to leave one behind, it would be the 260. 361 is just too good of a saw IMO not to have.

 

[fearofpavement]

I've never tried a 361 but maybe I should if you guys think it could replace an 026/260. I use the 026 more than any other (and I have some others) and can't imagine selling it.

Regarding your wood pile, it is apparent you like to cut wood so you should sell some so you have an excuse to cut more. Otherwise you'll get out of practice. That wood is well protected but here in Georgia my wood gets pretty punky if it is more than 3 or 4 years old.

 

[oneoldbanjo]

Did you test the 361 out pretty good? Reason I ask, is that I find myself using mine almost exclusively these days.

I really didn't use my 361 for very long. I started this thread just after I changed my 4 saw (192T/260/361/660) to a 3 saw plan (192T/260/460). I found that in my firewood cutting I was using the 192T and 260 most of the time. The 361 was just not enough of a jump to justify it most of the time and the 660 was only used about once a year. If I was going to have a 2 saw plan I think it would have been the 192T/361 models.

The 361 was a good saw, it was smooth - but it just doesn't compare well to the 460 which I really like. I ran a 20 inch bar on both.....and the 460 cuts really quickly compared to the 361. I can also run a 32" bar on the rare occasion that I need to.

 

[MS460WOODCHUCK]

I really didn't use my 361 for very long. I started this thread just after I changed my 4 saw (192T/260/361/660) to a 3 saw plan (192T/260/460). I found that in my firewood cutting I was using the 192T and 260 most of the time. The 361 was just not enough of a jump to justify it most of the time and the 660 was only used about once a year. If I was going to have a 2 saw plan I think it would have been the 192T/361 models.

The 361 was a good saw, it was smooth - but it just doesn't compare well to the 460 which I really like. I ran a 20 inch bar on both.....and the 460 cuts really quickly compared to the 361. I can also run a 32" bar on the rare occasion that I need to.

Nice pile of wood and I think you've made a great decision with the 260-460 duo.